I wish to act with Mohanlal again: Shari

Once a favourite of Malayali film lovers, Shari is back, to the silver screen this time, with a serial different from the usual.
A hazel-eyed Shari won hearts through her pivotal roles in films like Deshadanakkili Karayaarilla and Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal in the late 80s. Shari now reaps success in the small screen, portraying the character of Sethulekshmi in a family drama Nilavum Nakshathrangalum.Shari says that she is absolutely enjoying the new phase of her career, while adding that the long hiatus hasn’t bothered her at all. In an interview, the actress talks about her comeback, motherhood and a desire to share the screen again with actor Mohanlal!
I was busy with my family
I always had a desire to act. But after marriage I wanted to prioritise my family. I was enjoying motherhood all these years as I was sure I wanted to give my full attention to my daughter Kalyani. She is a B.Com final year student now who can take care of herself so I chose to give TV a try, if a good script came along, to refresh the actor in me. Before Nilavum Nakshathrangalum I had worked in a few Tamil serials and some Malayalam serials — like Sindooram and Snehadaram. I had also made a comeback to films through director Shafi’s campus entertainer, Chocolate in 2007.
My serial is no tear-jerker
I wanted to experiment with a new subject, different from the usual tear-jerking family soaps. The role of Sethulakshmi aka Sethu is completely different from what I’ve played so. Sethu is married to Vijay Menon’s character Mahendran, who is a doctor. They have a daughter, Sreenandana, who is about to get married. But life takes a bad turn for the happy family as Sethu faces the consequences of a small mistake that she had done in her youth. Mine is a strong character, with a lot of scope for acting. The crew including director GR Krishnan and scriptwriter Ganesh are very supportive and we have a relaxed set. The serial is very realistic in its visual appeal. Though it has completed only 34 episodes, the reviews are good. I feel blessed when people say they feel happy to see Shari back on screen.
The small screen is a good medium to connect with my audience. The audience keep us close to their hearts and a good number of the women in the audience consider me a member of their family.
My passions…
I am a homemaker and a daughter also. I enjoy helping my husband in his business at Chennai, where we are settled. My brother and I run a construction company at Chennai, which is a responsibility apart from acting. Though I was trained in classical dance under veteran gurus like Padma Subrahmanyam, I have not been able to pick up dancing due to my busy life. I am not sure if I can ever brush it up.
I’m Telugu but I belong to Kerala
My real name is Sadhana and I’m Telugu. But the name Shari gave me an identity and a life. Despite being a non-malayali, the Malayalam industry welcomed me and gave me love and affection, together with a handful of films. I won several awards here including the State award. In my legal and personal documents my name is Shari. I belong to Kerala and I am fluent in Malayalam (laughs).
Sally Thomas is special for me!
I got established as an actor through my films Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal and Desadanakkili Karayarilla. Though the former won me several awards, the second film introduced me as a tomboy to my Malayali audience. My character in it, Sally Thomas, was very challenging but she will be always my favourite. I was studying in high school when Padmarajan sir and his crew approached my family for the film after seeing my photo taken for a photoshoot for a Tamil film. In those times I didn’t even know who Padmarajan was (laughs). The language was new and the character just opposite to my nature. I feel lucky to have acted under the legendary film maker. Though I was a fresh face my co-star Mohanlal supported me well in Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal. I really look forward to working with Mohanlal again!
Kalyani, my life
It was my daughter who motivated me to take up the acting career again. However, she herself is not interested in acting. She is very studious and her area of interest is business management. Kalyani is bold, independent and has leadership qualities which I lack.